Procycling brings you the colour, action and drama of the world's most spectacular sport in a glossy and dynamic magazine.
It's the authoritative, worldwide voice of international professional road racing, distributed in every country where there are English-speaking fans.
With exclusive features and spectacular photography, Procycling brings to life the complexities, rivalries and hardships of the European professional scene.

Cycling Plus is the manual for the modern road cyclist.
Whether you're cycling weekly, an occasional new rider or a Tour de France fan you’ll find everything you need.
Every issue is packed with expert reviews of the latest road bikes and gear, inspirational routes and rides, evocative features that take you inside every aspect of cycling and unmatched nutrition, fitness and training advice.

Mountain Biking UK celebrates everything that is great about mountain biking, enabling people of all abilities and ages to have a better time on their bike.
MBUK brings you all the latest news, coolest kit, plus exclusive info on the newest and best bikes that you can buy.

Scott reveals Scale 700-series 650b hardtails

27.5inch carbon hardtails go from team-only to consumer product

1 / 19

Once limited only to team riders, Scott's 27.5"-wheeled Scale hardtails will now be available to the public. The top-end Scale 710 shown here uses a carbon frame that's nearly identical to what Nino Schurter uses

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

2 / 19

Scott's new Scale 700-series hardtails offer up an intriguing compromise between the quickness of 26" wheels and the momentum of 29" ones

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

3 / 19

The rear end of the new Scott Scale 710 is similar to the company's other carbon Scales with meaty chain stays paired to slim and flattened seat stays

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

4 / 19

Scott's 'Shock Damping System' seat stays seem like a gimmick but they're noticeably effective on the trail and taking the edge off of bumps

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

5 / 19

Short tapered head tubes on the Scott Scale 710 allow for aggressive bar positions

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

6 / 19

Scott is including Fox 32 Float 27.5 CTD forks with three-position remote lockouts on the new Scale 710 and 740 hardtails

The adjoining tubes make good use of the extra-wide PF92 bottom bracket on the Scott Scale 710

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

12 / 19

A removable plug under the bottom bracket makes it easier to run the internally routed derailleur cables on the Scott Scale 710

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

13 / 19

The Scott Scale 740 uses the same geometry as the carbon fiber Scale 710 but with welded aluminum construction

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

14 / 19

Scott includes a tapered head tube on the Scale 740 while cables are externally routed

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

15 / 19

The Scott Scale 740 seat stays are visually similar to the ones on the upper-end 710 model but don't feature the same smooth SDS ride

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

16 / 19

The aluminum dropouts on the Scott Scale 740 are deeply profiled to help maintain rigidity

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

17 / 19

From the outside, the Scott Scale 740 dropouts look like tubular structures but they're hollow on the other side

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

18 / 19

Unfortunately, the aluminum Scott Scale 740 uses quick-release rear dropouts instead of the thru-axle ones used elsewhere in the range

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

19 / 19

Racers looking for an edgier and quicker-handling option can by a Nino Schurter replica Scott Scale 700 RC Swisspower, complete with steeper geometry, a more aggressive fit, and a PressFit 30 bottom bracket instead of the PF92 one used on production frames. Scott is only selling 200 frames worldwide, though - all in the modified medium size - and only 25 are coming into the US

Scott has been supplying the Scott-Swisspower and, more recently, Crankbrothers Race Club teams with 650b/27.5-inch Scale carbon hardtails but up until now, they're been strictly team-only items. That's now changed with the release of the carbon fiber Scale 710 and the aluminum Scale 740 complete bikes plus the limited edition Scale 700 RC Swisspower frame, all of which are already in warehouses and ready to ship.

The Scale 710 features Scott's top-end HMX-NET fiber blend and similar shaping to existing Scales, including large-diameter tubing with mostly roundish cross-sections and gentle shape transitions, flattened 'SDS' (Shock Damping System) seat stays with up to 4.6mm claimed vertical movement on bumps, an extra-wide PF92 press-fit bottom bracket shell, and a direct-mount front derailleur with a chain catcher plate built into the stout aluminum bracket.

Also included is Scott's ultralight integrated seatpost clamp, internal cable routing with molded carbon housing stops, and a short tapered head tube for aggressive bar positions but also a progressive 69-degree head tube angle. In another impressively forward-thinking move, the carbon rear dropouts are thru-axle only (convertible to 142x12mm, 135x12mm, or 135x10mm standards).

Actual weight for a complete bike is 11.54kg (25.44lb, size medium, without pedals).

Both options are offered in medium, large, and extra-large sizes with a small option pending.

The scott scale 740 uses the same geometry as the carbon fiber scale 710 but with welded aluminum construction: The 740 uses the same geometry as the 710, but in aluminum

DIYers with deep pockets can instead build up the limited-release Scale 700 RC Swisspower frame as they wish with a base price of US$2,300. Scott isn't just casually calling this the Swisspower edition, either, as the medium-only size is actually a replica of Nino Schurter's custom, extra-agile geometry.

Changes include a 70-degree head tube angle instead of the stock 69-degree one, a 73.5-degree seat tube angle instead of 73 degrees, 4mm less bottom bracket drop, and an effective top tube length that's been shortened 5mm to 595mm. Scott also equips this model with a PressFit 30 bottom bracket shell instead of the standard PF92 one.

Interested parties should speak up quickly, though, as Scott will only produce 200 frames with just 25 of them coming into the US. Actual weight for a medium frame with integrated seatpost collar, rear derailleur hanger, and aluminum water bottle bolts is 990g.

Scott claims cross-country racers have just as much to gain from the 'tweener wheel format. According to Scott (and our own test rides seem to agree), it offers some of the benefits of 29er wheels – a faster roll, better grip, and increased ability to roll over obstacles – but with less of a penalty in terms of acceleration and maneuverability, not to mention the fact that they're easier to fit to riders of smaller stature.

Scott says that moving up to 27.5-inch wheels adds 140g (five percent) of additional rotating mass as compared to 430g (11 percent) for a 29er when based on a 2,450g 26-inch wheelset and tires. That difference is magnified when you take rotational inertia into account, too, which make the 27.5-inch format feel notably snappier and more agile than 29ers.

Scott is by no means abandoning 29ers, though, and they're still the best choice for courses or trails with lots of flat-out speed. World Cup-type terrain with their ultra-steep and abrupt climbs and descents require a more dynamic personality, though, and now riders have yet another choice.